7.29.2010

A Delectable Celebratory Dinner and a Late Night Ghost Hunt

This year we celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary in Chattanooga as a little family of three. We always treat ourselves to a nice dinner on our special day, and this anniversary was no different. Will chose Porter's Steakhouse, a Chicago-Style fine dining establishment, conveniently located next to our accommodations at the Read House on Broad Street. So after an action-packed day spent exploring downtown and the Tennessee Aquarium, the three of us spiffed up for a night out. Hudson was as happy as always, perched between the two of us in a highchair, at the table where we would spend the next few hours enjoying a memorable meal. We started our culinary adventure with a Balsamic Goat Cheese Tart, made with fresh Artisan Goat Cheese and aged balsamic vinegar; if those first creamy bites of our appetizer were any indication of how the rest of our meal would taste, we were in for a real treat. The tart was probably one of the best things I've ever tasted, and Will loved it, too. Next up were delicious salads, made fresh with locally grown produce. I enjoyed a salad of vine ripe tomatoes, organic greens, aged Maytag Bleu Cheese, and a house blended Port Wine Vinaigrette, while Will chose the house special, a melange of Romaine, Iceberg, and Mesclun greens topped with the House Dressing. We traded a couple bites of each, and each were equally delicious. On to the main course, we listened to our knowledgeable waiter who carefully explained each of their signature steaks, made Chicago-Style, meaning simply made meats lacking fancy sauces, but prepared with the finest ingredients. I decided on Porter's specialty, the 8 oz. Peppercorn cut, marinated in garlic and peppercorn for 72 hours before preparation. Will chose a slightly larger cut of beef, the 28 oz. Porterhouse, which he polished off without leaving behind a crumb....someday I'll tell you the infamous story of Will's Porterhouse at Broadway Joe's on W. 46th Street in New York City's Theater District. That's a doozy of a story, so we'll save it for another day. As for our meal at Porter's, our main course was delightful, especially when paired with fresh asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes a la carte. We finished with exquisite desserts, Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp for me, and Creme Brulee for Will. Needless to say, we were quite full after our celebratory dinner, but after a mandatory rest in our suite we got a second wind, and prepared for an adventure.

I mentioned earlier that we were staying at the historic Read House Hotel....but I neglected to mention that the Hotel is supposedly haunted. Before we left for our trip, Will and I had run across some information on the all-knowing internet that documented some spooky happenings at the Read House. Legend says that the hotel is haunted by a female ghost, who has apparently been hanging around since 1867. Steeped in rich history, the hotel has been frequented by many famous people, including Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and Elvis Presley. During the Civil War the hotel was occupied by the Union Army, and many soldiers came and went. It is rumoured that one such soldier visited and murdered his female companion while staying in Room 311. For over one hundred years, visitors have complained of seeing bizarre apparitions in the hotel. Visitors to Room 311 complain of strange unexplained sounds, and many have been known to flee from the room in the middle of the night, to frightened to stay there any longer. The hotel supposedly avoids renting this room to visitors, as it is hotel policy that they only use the room if no others are available. Having rested after our filling dinner, we decided to take a peek around our hotel....and we were definitely on the lookout for spooks. As you could probably guess, we didn't see anything. But we did see an abundance of lovely antebellum architecture, and reminders of times gone by. As a last resort, we couldn't help but take the elevator to the third floor, for a stroll past Room 311. Maybe we didn't see the ghost for a reason....it appeared as though she had company. There was a room service menu hanging on the doorknob of the haunted room....hopefully they wouldn't be too scared to stay until their eggs arrived in the morning.